ProjectSummary Infantswithdevelopmentaldelayoftenexperiencelifelongdifficultiesinmotor,cognitiveand socialskills.Achallengetoprovidingearlyphysicaltherapyintervention,however,isthatitcan bedifficulttoidentifyatypicaldevelopmentwithinthefirstfewmonthsoflifeduetoinfants? limitedmotorskillsandhighlyvariableratesofdevelopmentandmotorskillperformance.The aimofthisstudyistouseelectroencephalography(EEG)toobtainaneuralmeasureofthe developmentofinfantmotorcontrolininfantsatriskfordevelopmentaldelay.EEGisaneural imagingtechniquethatnon-invasivelymeasuresbrainactivityandhasgreatpotentialfor measuringbrainfunctionrelatedtoinfantmotorcontrol.CombiningEEGwithobservationof infantmovementswillsupportbetteridentificationofinfantswhowillbenefitfromearlytherapy intervention. Thisisalongitudinal,observationalstudyofinfantsatriskfordevelopmentaldelay3-6months ofage.EEGdatawillbecollectedmonthlyasinfantslearntoreachforobjects.EEGmeasures ofinterestareamountofactivityin(power)andconnections(coherence)betweenpartsofthe braininvolvedinexecutiveattentionandintention(frontalcortex),motorcontrol(motorcortex), andsensoryintegration(parietalcortex).Thefirstaimofthisprojectistodeterminethe developmentaltrajectoryofchangesinEEGmeasuresofneuromotorcontrolasinfantreaching skillsdevelopininfantsatriskfordevelopmentaldelay.Thesecondaimofthisprojectisto relateEEGmeasurestobehavioralandfunctionalmeasuresofinfantneuromotorcontrol. Achievingouroverallobjectivewillprovideamuch-neededneuralbiomarkerofthedevelopment ofinfantneuromotorcontrolininfantsatriskfordevelopmentaldelay.Resultsofthisstudywill providethecrucialfirststepinourefforttoevaluatetheeffectivenessoftherapeuticintervention aimedatimprovingneuromotordevelopmentforinfantswithoratriskfordevelopmentaldelay andotherneuromotorproblems.OptimalearlyinterventionwillsupporttheEuniceKennedy ShriverNationalInstituteofChildHealthandHumanDevelopmentmissionthatallchildrenhave thechancetoachievetheirfullpotentialforhealthyandproductivelives,freefromdiseaseor disability,andtoensurethehealth,productivity,independence,andwell-beingofallpeople throughoptimalrehabilitation.ThisresearchalsofitswiththemissionoftheNationalInstitutes ofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke:toseekfundamentalknowledgeaboutthebrainand nervoussystemandtousethatknowledgetoreducetheburdenofneurologicaldisease.